From the New York Times bestselling author and former beauty editor Cat Marnell, a “vivid, maddening, heartbreaking, very funny, chaotic” (TheNew York Times) memoir of prescription drug addiction and self-sabotage, set in the glamorous world of fashion magazines and downtown nightclubs.

At twenty-six, Cat Marnell was an associate beauty editor at Lucky, one of the top fashion magazines in America—and that’s all most people knew about her. But she hid a secret life. She was a prescription drug addict. She was also a “doctor shopper” who manipulated Upper East Side psychiatrists for pills, pills, and more pills; a lonely bulimic who spent hundreds of dollars a week on binge foods; a promiscuous party girl who danced barefoot on banquets; a weepy and hallucination-prone insomniac who would take anything—anything—to sleep.

This is a tale of self-loathing, self-sabotage, and yes, self-tanner. It begins at a posh New England prep school—and with a prescription for the Attention Deficit Disorder medication Ritalin. It continues to New York, where we follow Marnell’s amphetamine-fueled rise from intern to editor through the beauty departments of NYLON, Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Lucky. We see her fight between ambition and addiction and how, inevitably, her disease threatens everything she worked so hard to achieve. From the Condé Nast building to seedy nightclubs, from doctors’ offices and mental hospitals, Marnell “treads a knife edge between glamorizing her own despair and rendering it with savage honesty.…with the skill of a pulp novelist” (The New York Times Book Review) what it is like to live in the wild, chaotic, often sinister world of a young female addict who can’t say no.

Combining “all the intoxicating intrigue of a thriller and yet all the sobering pathos of a gifted writer’s true-life journey to recover her former health, happiness, ambitions, and identity” (Harper’s Bazaar), How to Murder Your Life is mesmerizing, revelatory, and necessary.

Descrizione prodotto

Recensione

“Sensational…Marnell treads a knife edge between glamorizing her own despair and rendering it with savage honesty. Several sections read like the drug-fueled interludes of The Goldfinch…She propels the reader through what could seem like repetitiveness (drugs, binges, bad mistakes, sprawling parties) with the skill of a pulp novelist.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Jaw-dropping.” (New York Post)

"The book is as compelling — and as problematic — as her magazine writing: vivid, maddening, heartbreaking, very funny, chaotic and repetitive, as benders are." (New York Times)

"[Marnell's] memoir brims with all the intoxicating intrigue of a thriller and yet all the sobering pathos of a gifted writer's true-life journey to recover her former health, happiness, ambitions and identity." (Harper's Bazaar)

"Cat Marnell's memoir How to Murder Your Life should come with a warning label that says buckle the FUCK up....[Marnell] writes about her life with a candor and self-awareness that is unexpected...I read this book in two wide-eyed sittings, cringing and laughing the whole way through." (BuzzFeed)

"Gripping." (The New Republic)

"Companionably charming...her control of style and tone is impressive, as is her wry self-awareness...Reading Marnell is so much fun: When she’s sparkling, high and pretty, it seems so thrilling to be her." (The Cut, NYMag.com)

"Fantastically entertaining." (Glamour)

"Easily one of the most anticipated memoirs of the year...[Marnell's] got an inimitable style (and oh my god, so many have tried) and a level of talent so high, it's impossible not to be rooting for her." (NYLON)

"A gutting, riveting read that peels back the shiny facade that often cloaks the fashion publishing business. At its core, How to Murder Your Life is a cautionary tale about how even the most gifted, determined talents can fall victim to the grip of addiction, but it's also a peek behind the curtain at the inner workings of this competitive industry, and how the shiny world of magazines isn't as glamorous as it often appears. At the end, one thing is for certain: Marnell's storytelling abilities prove why so many of her editors took a chance on her despite the liability she became, and why she's cemented her spot as one of the internet generation's cult-favorite writers." (Fashionista)

L'autore

Cat Marnell is a Condé Nast drop-out and former beauty editor at Lucky and xoJane.com. She wrote the “Amphetamine Logic” column for Vice. How to Murder Your Life is her first book.

Le recensioni clienti più utili su Amazon.com

Amazon.com:
4,2 su 5 stelle
290 recensioni

Miamigrrl

2,0 su 5 stelleUltimately a disappointing story

23 agosto 2017 - Pubblicato su Amazon.com

Acquisto verificato

I have to admit, at first this was a "page-turner" but I became disillusioned with the author when she made no attempt to save her life rather than murder it despite support from parents, grandmother, sister and colleagues. I was so disappointed at the ending (spoiler alert) when she seemed to revel in her addiction. I had hoped she would pull herself out. The writing is very good but the subject matter is horrifying: sex with disgusting near-strangers, using every type of drug she could get her hands on - I just didn't understand. What got her to that point? She never says. Her early life certainly did not point to the type of adult she became. I am now sorry I contributed funds to her continuing downfall.

I feel this particular one gives an accurate, candid portrayal of the spiral (or headfirst nose dive) into addiction- the descent itself is overall relevant for anyone who's been within the sinkhole of addiction, as well as for the bystanders (ie: loved ones) peering down from the perimeter.

However, what separates this memoir from others I've read about addiction is the delivery. Marnel frequently employs humor to convey her experience, yet not to the extent I felt she doesn't take it seriously or isn't aware of the severity of situation- certain passages definitely convey the depths of her lack of control and self love, but in padding them with humor, I personally feel it was easier to take the journey with her; she did some crazy things, and I feel if she hadn't utilized some humor, the shock of these things may have hindered my capability to truly follow and absorb the story as a whole, if that makes sense?

Additionally, although addiction itself doesn't discriminate based on class (addicts all seem to possess a degree of self hatred and tendency to burn bridges, etc.), I do feel Marnel's situation differs greatly from the addicts I've known or see begging for change in my neighborhood; in terms of money, support, and resources she had far more enabling factors than the average person, and ultimately, in my opinion, this prevented her from "hitting that wall" (the "wake up, shape up" wall, if you will) sooner than someone lacking these factors would.

I don't want to be a spoil sally, but I will say I was initially disappointed/perturbed that some "loose ends" weren't perfectly tied up tight by the end of the book. Yet, in retrospect I've come to kinda appreciate that- it confirms her honesty, not only with the reader, but with herself, and I think what's important is the plethora of ends she DID tie up, and the fact she seems to finally be fully aware and without denial regarding the remaining loose ones. Also, it's a memoir about addiction, not a Disney movie- I think there are always loose ends with addiction in some way, but it's a lifelong effort to ensure one doesn't untie those ends completely.

I'm probably not the "target audience" for this book, in that I am not super into New York or beauty, and I've never done drugs. But I loved loved loved this book. So much so that once I finished reading it, I (1) started looking up Cat Marnell's columns that she wrote for xoJane and have been reading those; (2) sent a twitter message to the author -- something I never do -- just to say how much I liked her book; and (3) went back and read the whole book again!

Why do I like this book so much?

I suppose there are a few things. I really like the writing style. ALL THE USE OF CAPS!!!! AND ALL THE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! They make it fun to read. And I just like the author's conversational, witty tone. It makes the whole thing fun to read, you see.

I don't know how I actually feel about the author. I mean, clearly I send her all of the best wishes for herself. She would be (and it seems like she has been) the first to say that she has some major issues. I guess I kind of feel bad for her, even though if I knew her in real life I would probably be incredibly frustrated by her. It was nice to read a book from her perspective because it seems like she has at least some degree of insight into how her behavior and issues affects the people around her.

Anyway, the primary reason that I'm giving this book 5 stars and recommending it is because I just genuinely enjoyed it, and I think a lot of other people will really enjoy the ride of reading it, too.

You may want to avoid if you have issues with prescription pills, drugs, or eating disorders, and if reading about them could trigger you.

I first read Cat Marnell's writing when she worked for Vice. While brilliant, you could see the disease of addiction winning with each article. Yet, her honesty, unique viewpoints and writing hooked me. Then she disappeared.

Then her book was published. Wow, she is lucky to be alive.

While the road to recovery is different for every addict, the path she has chosen since the start of this book is working for her not against her. The roller coaster ride we are all on took her to the place where the tracks disappear and she went to the shadowlands where you do not do well with reality. Especially as you meet the nocturnal, broken creatures that share your hidden world.

The hurt family members and the damaged relationships are the cost of addiction. She holds nothing back in this book. I found it hard to put down once I read the first chapter. I love her way of expressing herself in words.

Great writing, great storyline and most important, it's honest.I look forward to the sequel.